Run With Christine

Improving body and mind through working out takes dedication and time. It takes commitment to get your self in gear, speaking rhetorically and literally. The running boom has spawned a multi-billion dollar shoe industry, whose experts will help you achieve your goals in comfort. Our feet are taken care of but what about our eyes? This is what Alcon DAILIES TOTAL1® contact lenses can do for your vision. Having your eyes feeling uncomfortable during a workout will steal your focus and drain your energy. With high quality contacts lenses you can concentrate on the task at hand. Conversely, your focus at work or school will diminish if your eyes become dry from wearing contacts longer than normal, with no solution in sight (pun intended).

From a sunset walk along the beach, to having coffee with friends, to getting away for the weekend, there is much in life we take for granted. You end up foregoing it all if you are battling a constant irritation of your eyes. You may learn to cope, however, without regular eye exams which detect the onset of disease, as well as making you aware of the best eye care available, your eye health could be at risk.

There is a solution for the every-day contact wearer. ALCON®DAILIES® are daily disposable lenses offering sharper vision. They are the world’s first water gradient contact lens, meaning they’re designed to offer more comfort and breathability for longer. They provide more than three hours of additional comfortable wear time per day, compared to their regular lenses.

Taking control of your vision will improve your confidence in everything you do. You will never have to quit a long run because a lens had become uncomfortable. Athletes will apply the latest information on supplements, diet and training methods to give themselves an edge. It’s just as important to get proper vision care, which could be a difference maker.

Are your eyes ‘performance ready’? It’s never too late to have an eye exam. It is Vision Health month in May, which is a national campaign to bring awareness to Canadians to get regular eye check ups. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, (CNIB) seventy-five per cent of vision loss can be prevented or treated. Preventive measures and early detection of eye disease significantly lowers your risk of vision loss. Keep your eyes healthy by getting a regular eye exam, eating healthy and exercising. You can protect your eyes from ultra violet damage by wearing sun glasses at work or at play.

Learn about some eye conditions such as presbyopia, which is a common eye condition that often occurs around age 40 due to a gradual loss of the eye’s ability to focus on close objects, affecting nearly 1.7 billion people worldwide – a number expected to increase to 2.1 billion in the next five years.

Alcon Multifocal lenses can treat presbyopia. There will be no squinting to read the menu or blurred vision while looking at your fitness gadget. Accepting less than perfect vision is no longer necessary with the advanced eye care that is available.

Seeing the world up close and personal is now possible. Please visit your eye care practitioner for further information.

No matter how well my training is going, there is still a seed of doubt about whether I’ll be able to do a personal best on that day. This is normal behavior I am told from my running friends, and it is basically for me to learn how to cope with the pre-run jitters.

The key is to think about all the hard training I have done, and how good I will feel crossing the line. A positive mindset and being prepared before race day will never let me down to perform well.

Here are my top 5 racing tips before I lace up my shoes:

1. Clothing/shoes

What helps settle my pre-race jitters is the night before I figure out what to wear. I dress for the weather conditions and wear moist wicking fabrics to keep me dry and comfortable. I also choose the shoes that are best for the distance I am doing. In addition, I bring an extra change of clothes, socks and comfortable shoes to change into afterwards.

Before lining up to the start I double knot my shoe laces to trip in the race which has almost happened once.

Two other items I bring are Vaseline and Bandaids.

To keep me warm before the start I wear a top that I don’t want and can discard it when the gun goes off.

2. Nutrition/Hydrate – The night before, I eat light- for example plain tomato sauce with pasta- I avoid anything too spicy and creamy sauces that will upset my stomach. Lunch is my last big meal before any race day. The morning of, I usually have oatmeal with brown sugar and fruit with milk. That is all I need before the run.

If it is a half marathon or a longer distance I will bring an energy bar and have it halfway through the race. Avoid eating too close to race start as this could lead to problems during the race. Also, I also keep hydrated leading up to the race. Most big races have water and/or energy drink on the course.

3. Rest – I make sure to have a good sleep the night before. The previous day to the race, I stay off my feet and relax to music.

4. Stretching- I stretch after my warm-up before the run and after the race. I also do a cool down afterwards. I stretch all of my muscle groups, including calves, quads, hamstrings, groins, I-T bands, arms, upper and lower back.

5. Start slow, finish strong works for me. I start slow and then I make up the time later. While running I keep my shoulders low and relaxed and pump my arms, especially on the hill sections. Suggestion: have a realistic goal. Write on a wrist band the times you are hoping to achieve at 5 kms, 10 kms, 15 kms and 20 kms.

I try to run my own race and don’t compare myself to others. This will keep me focused, relaxed – the end result I will be running smoothly.

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